staycations - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-29T10:47:01Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/staycationsCityPASS Helps Travelers See Their Own Cities: Staycationshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/citypass-helps-travelers-see2010-05-15T15:09:39.000Z2010-05-15T15:09:39.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MtEy_ctwSnA5SRD8Pyy4gvof0dzRa7ymPcRZ9zZ0Nsc?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AnBusKXSA8o/S-2l8kh8SzI/AAAAAAAAB04/IvJmGFjZqEE/s800/Boston%20Logo.jpg" alt="Boston%20Logo.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/travel.video/FromKaleel?authkey=Gv1sRgCIaWy9qJ5r_9WA&feat=embedwebsite">From Kaleel</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Travel Tip: The Stay At Home Vacation: Staycations<br /><br />A weak economy drives families (and all travelers) to seek value-driven vacations, which now often means travel in one’s own back yard, a “Staycation,” a kind of travel that fosters a sense of community, lets people discover their own city, and saves money<br /><br />We think the best way to enjoy a “Staycation” is with The <a href="http://www.citypass.com">CityPASS</a> ticket booklet. Thinner than your iPod, and full of homegrown bargains and deals at a dozen or so top cities, like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, it’s a great way to vacation at home.<br /><br />The company’s intention is to get travelers and locals to enjoy their own city’s cultural attractions, to draw people throughout the city and appreciate the neighborhoods, streetscapes and attractions that get taken for granted.<br /><br />Besides saving money, CityPASS ticket booklets let families avoid most ticket lines, because they’re actual tickets, not passes or vouchers. <br />Show your CityPASS, and you’re in. <br /><br />In New York, for example, attractions include the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, Metropolitan Museum of Art & The Cloisters.<br />Going to the head of those lines is a big help, especially with kids in tow. <br /><br />The CityPASS web site is graphics-driven and makes price comparisons easy, so I chose to look at Boston<br />The deal gives me five top Boston attractions:<br />•New England Aquarium<br />•Museum of Science<br />•Museum Fine Arts, Boston<br />•Skywalk Observatory<br />•Harvard Museum Natural History or John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum<br /><br /><a href="http://www.citypass.com/price/boston.html">CityPASS Boston</a><br />costs $46.00 for adults, and $29.00 bucks for kids (3-11), for entrance to all five places.<br /><br />When I did the math for the five attractions separately, the combined admission cost was $84.95. With CityPASS it was $46.00. For kids, the regular combined admission cost was $50.45; with CityPASS it was $29.00. But keep in mind that most attractions allow children under 3 -7 in for free. <br />So, figure that in too.<br />But it’s still a significant savings.<br /><br />Each CityPASS ticket booklet is valid for nine consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Booklets include contact information for the attractions, hours of operation, information on how to get to and from the attractions using public transportation, and tips on the least crowded times to visit. <br /><br />How does CityPASS compare to its closest competitor, <a href="http://www.smartdestinations.com">Smart Destinations</a>? For one-day stays, Smart Destinations may be the better choice. But for a 2-5 day visit, CityPASS is the better value, and a spokesperson from CityPASS said they urge customers to make comparisons because, as she said, “we want people to be happy with CityPASS when they buy one.”<br /><br />The CityPASS itself comes nicely wrapped, rather classy.<br /><br />Sounds like a deal!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Is The Travel Channel’s Programming Insulting?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/is-the-travel-channel-s-programming-insulting2012-07-18T16:55:12.000Z2012-07-18T16:55:12.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008717280,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008717280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" alt="9008717280?profile=original" /></a></p><p><strong><em>The New York Times</em></strong> thinks so.<br /> <br /> In a wry and cutting article, “<a href="http://tv.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/arts/television/warning-these-vacations-may-be-too-fun-for-you.html" target="_blank">Vacations To Steam All Couch Potatoes</a>", television columnist, Neil Genzlinger throws darts at <strong><a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/" target="_blank">The Travel Channe</a>l</strong> for programming that shows elite travelers having the kind of fun in places you and I can only dream going to, if that.<br /> <br /> Genzlinger says instead of programs like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfpkr-_32I8" target="_blank">“Xtreme Waterparks”</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-iCqHLwSfw" target="_blank">“Insane Coaster Wars”</a> that focus on places like Fortaleza, Brazil , or death-defying coaster rides that no sane person would try, why not create a <strong>“Staycation Channel”</strong> where we can watch people like us, with budgets like us, having the kind of fun we mere mortals have on our vacations?<br /> Genzlinger says this a bit like showing us great, spectacular vacations, then saying, in effect, “OK, buddy. You had your fun seeing how much fun we have. Now go mow your lawn.”<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/trip-flip" target="_blank">Trip Flip</a> is apparently particularly irksome in that the host, Bert Kreischer, travels to exotic places like Oahu and picks out some people to send to an even better vacation, while all the “non chosen,” have to sit around on the beach...beaches, as the article notes, the rest of us will unlikely ever get to.<br /> <br /> Anyway, I’m sure Mr. Genzlinger can afford a luscious vacation. But he has a good point. How about showing us travel shows that we can see ourselves in?<br /> He suggests shows like:<br /> <br /> • <strong>Xtreme Hosing</strong> where homeowners make a cool water slide out of Saran wrap and a garden hose use it from the roof top.<br /> Or how about <strong>Insanely Xtreme Top Shot</strong> where homeowners (you and I) keep rabbits out of the garden by shooting them with water pistols, while riding the water slide mentioned above.<br /> He has a great idea for a coaster show, the things one places under drinks.<br /> <br /> We think the review was all in good humor, then again, we’re not completely sure. We might watch a “Staycation Channel,” but only if we thought people like us were too.</p></div>What To Do If You Can't Afford An Overseas Trip?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/what-to-do-if-you-can-t-afford-a-trip-away2012-02-20T15:00:00.000Z2012-02-20T15:00:00.000ZW. Ruth Kozakhttps://tripatini.com/members/WRuthKozak548<div><p>As I just finished a major historical fiction novel and, after a year of readers critiques and editing I've just turned it over to a professional editor for the final run-through before submitting. (The novel is titled 'SHADOW OF THE LION', set in Babylon, Asia Minor and Greece after Alexander the Great's death in 323 BC). The novel itself was a long, long journey. And now the editing/publishing part is the last long haul. </p><p> </p><p>Thing is, it costs to have a professional editor fine-tune you work, so I have had to put my long-range travel plans on hold for now, until I see what is left in my accounts once this major bit of work is done. Meanwhile, I am itching to go away somewhere (I have plans to head back to Greece, with a stop-over in either Amsterdam or Spain). So what I am doing while I wait for the outcome of the editing, is thinking of some local trips I can make.</p><p> </p><p>You can always be a tourist in your own home town. I like seeing new places, museums, parks etc. that are just a short bus ride away. My friend and I are also thinking of going on a weekend trip over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island (Tofino). I haven't been there for a couple of years and it's a spectacular place to visit. I've also never been up to the Caribou to historic Barkerville, so that's another option. In the meantime, I have two media trips that I won -- one is a weekend at a Ranch Spa up in the Caribou and the other is a two-day all expenses hotel stay in Seattle WA. </p><p> </p><p>So in spite of not being able to make definite plans for an overseas trip, I at least have these smaller shorter visits to look forward to. As a travel journalist I'm always looking for new places to write about. This should keep me busy for awhile.</p><p> </p><p>Check out my travel blog for other local trips I make: <a href="http://travelthroughhistory.blogspot.com">http://travelthroughhistory.blogspot.com</a></p><p>or my website at <a href="http://www.ruthkozak.com">www.ruthkozak.com</a></p><p>And don't forget I accept submission to my on-line travel 'zine that I edit/publish TRAVEL THRU HISTORY</p><p><a href="http://www.travelthruhistory.com">www.travelthruhistory.com</a> Read the submission guidelines before submitting.</p><p> </p></div>